BG Reads | News You Need to Know (April 21, 2020)
[BG BLOG]
*NEW* Analysis: Why Rent Control Isn't An Option for Austin (LINK TO BLOG)
[BINGHAM PODCAST]
*NEW* SPECIAL EPISODE - ATX COVID-19 COMMUNITY UPDATES (4.10.2020): Austin Independent School District (LINK TO SHOW)
BG PODCAST EPISODE 82: Metro Discussion with Mayor Larry Wallace, City of Manor (LINK TO SHOW)
TOMORROW -> EPISODE 83: Metro Discussion with Jason Giulietti, President, Greater San Marcos Partnership
[AUSTIN METRO]
City braces for cuts to cultural arts funding, citing likely drastic hotel tax drop (Austin Monitor)
The city has advised local artists and cultural contractors to hold off on submitting proposals for the next cycle of Cultural Arts project funding because of a likely drastic cut in arts money due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At Monday’s meeting of the Arts Commission, city staff said that Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues, which are the major source of funding for cultural and tourism spending, are expected to fall sharply because of the effective shuttering of the hotel business in mid-March.
An exact calculation of the decline brought on by the cancellation of the South by Southwest festival is expected in the coming weeks, which will allow the Cultural Arts Division possibly to revise its application guidelines so artists can be more conservative and budget-conscious with their projects.
“We have urged all contractors to press pause on their applications until we have a better idea of what kind of estimates are coming in for the next fiscal year,” said Meghan Wells, manager of the Cultural Arts Division. “We have not received any firm estimates yet from the budget office and we hope to get those as soon as we can, because we hear the urgency and would very much like to continue our planning process as well.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Cedar Park council members stir up social media response after attending Capitol protest (Community Impact)
Cedar Park City Council Members Dorian Chavez and Tim Kelly attended the April 18 "You Can't Close America" rally at the Texas Capitol, drawing mostly critical feedback from Cedar Park residents and fellow council members.
Kelly told Community Impact Newspaper he and Chavez attended the protest for Reopen Texas, which supports reopening the American economy and easing coronavirus-related restrictions. The protest began at noon at the Texas State Capitol and, according to social media posts and photographs, largely defied social distancing requirements by Travis County and the state. The event follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s April 17 announcement to begin gradually reopening the state’s businesses.
Chavez, Kelly and other Cedar Park council members commented online between April 17-19 about Chavez and Kelly's attendance. The sometimes harsh comments were communicated through personal, yet public, Facebook profiles.
Chavez and Kelly said they attended the protest as private citizens. Kelly said it is his civic duty to promote and defend constitutional rights… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Council members say Austin police racism probe shows need for radical change (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin City Council members on Monday said findings of an investigation into allegations of racism, sexism and bigotry among Austin police show a need for a radical shift in the culture and policies of the department.
City Manager Spencer Cronk ordered the inquiry after allegations surfaced last fall that former Assistant Chief Justin Newsom used the N-word to describe President Barack Obama, former Council Member Ora Houston and black officers for years without consequence.
Though the report did not uncover specific text messages in which Newsom was alleged to have made such statements, Harper-Madison said it still contained many bombshells that highlight failures in leadership, cronyism, fear of retaliation and racism.
″(The investigation) was able to bring to light several stunning and damning details that paint a picture of a department in dire need of an institutional overhaul,” Harper-Madison said. “Even though no racist text messages were uncovered, the report says multiple interviewees confirmed the former assistant chief and several of his friends on the force were well known, in fact, for their use of racist language.”
She said the report also found fault with Police Chief Brian Manley for “the way that he seemingly buried his head in the sand upon initially finding out about the existence of problematic text messages,” and said the report suggested an investigation into Newsom never would have come about if the council had not intervened… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
San Marcos may be 1st Texas city to pass cite-and-release law (Austin American-Statesman)
San Marcos on Tuesday could become the first city in Texas to use the force of law to require police give a citation instead of arresting residents for many low-level, nonviolent crimes. The San Marcos City Council is weighing a vote to pass a cite-and-release ordinance that would limit arrests for minor crimes like marijuana possession or driving with an invalid license.
Neighboring cities like Austin and San Antonio have both adopted cite-and-release resolutions, but San Marcos would be the first in the state to codify the ideas into law. Austin police drastically reduced the number of people arrested on misdemeanor charges last year after adopting “Freedom City” policies that called on police to end most discretionary arrests, in which an officer could have chosen to issue a citation instead. Although San Marcos city staff had recommended that the council instead approve a resolution like its neighboring cities, that will not be an option during Tuesday’s vote. But Mano Amiga, a local social justice nonprofit that was the first to propose the ordinance to the council last year, said it was willing to postpone the vote in the wake of the deadly ambush on Saturday that killed a San Marcos police officer and wounded two other officers… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
With Abbott's Plans To Reopen Economy, Many Texans Still Anxious About Testing, Public Health (KUT)
For tech industry and other remote workers accustomed to the virtual meeting, the stay-at-home orders put into place to slow the spread of COVID-19 have meant little, if any change to their routines. Over the past three weeks, however, tens of thousands of newly house-bound Texans are rapidly discovering the conveniences (all-day pjs) and perils (Mute. Mute!) of the virtual meeting.
That includes government workers. Yet unlike most other small-screen meetings now being held in living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms across the state, at virtually every layer of the government — courts, schools, cities, planning and zoning commissions — officials are required by law to conduct their business in front of the public. Occasionally, citizens must be given the opportunity to talk back. “It’s as American as apple pie for a citizen to travel to a courthouse, walk in and sit in the gallery and watch a court proceeding,” said Ryan Turner of the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center. “What we’re trying to do is come up with a substitute for the experience.” For governments inclined to secrecy, not having the public physically nosing around is an unexpected convenience. In Snyder, in West Texas, the local hospital district said social distancing required it to limit attendance at a recent meeting to 10 people - which, after board members and staff, left room for no one else. The sole member of the public wanting to attend, a reporter for The Snyder News, was shut out, said publisher Bill Crist… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Local vs. state control at issue in deciding how to reopen businesses (Rivard Report)
In March, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott let big-city mayors and county judges lead the way into lockdowns meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Over the coming weeks, it’s unclear whether it will be Abbott or local officials who lead the way out. Abbott and San Antonio officials both have convened task forces to figure out how to reopen more businesses, but it’s not yet clear how a loosening of restrictions would work and what the timing might be.
It could all come to a head on April 27, which Abbott signaled in an April 17 press conference as a date to expect more details on “additional ways to open Texas.” The governor has convened an advisory group mostly made up of business representatives to work out the details. The group also includes five physicians to serve as medical advisors, led by John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). In San Antonio, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff have convened a nine-member task force of their own, made up entirely of doctors and public health professionals. On Sunday, Nirenberg said the task force will present a “set of conditions and circumstances” the week of April 27 that outline how certain businesses and other entities can open… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
WHO head warns worst of virus is still ahead (Politico)
The World Health Organization chief warned Monday that “the worst is yet ahead of us” in the coronavirus outbreak, reviving the alarm just as many countries ease restrictive measures aimed at reducing its spread. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus didn’t specify why he believes the outbreak that has infected some 2.5 million people and killed over 166,000 could get worse. He and others, however, have previously pointed to the likely future spread of the illness through Africa, where health systems are far less developed.
“Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us,” Tedros told reporters from WHO headquarters in Geneva. “Let’s prevent this tragedy. It’s a virus that many people still don’t understand.” Some Asian and European governments have gradually eased or started relaxing “lockdown” measures like quarantines, school and business closures and restrictions on public gatherings, citing a decline in the growth of COVID-19 case counts and deaths. Tedros and his agency have been on the defensive after President Donald Trump of the United States — the WHO’s biggest single donor — last week ordered a halt to U.S. funding for the agency, alleging that it botched the early response to the outbreak. Among other things, Trump insisted WHO had failed to adequately share “in a timely and transparent” way information about the outbreak after it erupted in China late last year… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Trump says he will sign executive order temporarily suspending immigration into US (The Hill)
President Trump on Monday said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic, an extraordinary move that prompted immediate questions about its timing and scope.
"In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!" Trump tweeted… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Bitter Taste For Coffee Shop Owner, As New $600 Jobless Benefit Closed Her Business (NPR)
$600 per week.
That's what the federal government is now offering to people who've lost their jobs because of the coronavirus.
For many workers and employers, that money is a godsend — a way to keep food on the table while also cutting payroll costs.
But the extra money can create some awkward situations. Some businesses that want to keep their doors open say it's hard to do so when employees can make more money by staying home… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
The Bingham Group, LLC is an Austin-based full service lobbying firm representing and advising clients on municipal, legislative, and regulatory matters throughout Texas.
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